Method and machine for rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form



June 20, 1933; T. w. PROSSER ,METHOD AND MACHINE FOR ROLLING A SEAM SEATING GROOVE IN A HOSIERY DRYING FORM Filed Oct. 5, 193].

. r f 6 v I ///l j .7 il/0 ikflfii jw (yiamfi/ z mssex Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED S @FFICE THOMAS W. PROSSER, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR- TO PARAMOUNT TEXTILE IIACHINEBY CO., 03? CEfICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CQRPQEATION OF ILLINOIS METHOD AND MACHINE FOR ROLLING A SEAM-EJEA'IING- GRGOVE IN A HOSIERY DRYING FORM Application 'filed October 3, 1931.

My invention relates to a method and machine for providing a hosiery drying form with a seam-seating groove and is concerned more particularly with that type of form which is composed of sheet metal and adapted to be heated interiorly by the passage of a heating medium therethrough.

The principal object of my invention is to devise a method and a machine for rolling in such a form a groove for the reception and location of the mid-seam of a full fashioned or mock-seamed stocking, while it is being dried, pressed and finished thereon, the method and machine being characterized by simplicity, rapidity, accuracy, and capacity for the adequate handling of forms having various shapes.

There are known to the art many different types of grooves and devices for positioning the seam of a stocking when itis boarded. Because of the irregular contour of a hosiery drying form, the creation of a groove for the purpose indicated is somewhat difficult, and as there are many different styles of forms in use, it is apparent that considerable tool expense would be required to'form grooves according to present meth ods. The advent of the sheet steel form increased these difliculties. Generally, this kind of form is built up of two steel sheets cut to the proper outline and transversely shaped with a curved surface, the sheets being then placed together and welded or otherwise fastened along their edges to'form a hollow shell. The welding operation affects the character of the metal in such a manner as to render it non-homogeneous and very difficult to machine. I

The last named problem has been-further complicated by the introduction of stainless steel as a material for these forms. This material offers many advantages in a hosiery drying form, most important of which are its resistance to corrosion and its ability to take the 'sandblast finish usually provided as a holding means for sheer hosiery to pre= vent shrinkage thereof during drying. However, stainless steel is habitually difficult to machine, which fact, taken in conjunction with the hard spots presented along Serial No. 566,757.

the welded seam, practically eliminates the possibility of cutting a smooth and even seam seating groove in forms composed of this material. Many different cutting methods have been attempted, but all have result-- ed in a ragged and uneven groove, requiring considerable burnishing and polishing to render it smooth and suitable for use in a form where the slightest defect will snag or tear the stocking boarded thereon.

As a solution of the foregoing problem, I have discovered that it is possible to roll this groove under pressure, provided that the edges of the form parts are secured together by a relatively wide, ductile weld which facilitates the rolling and renders possible the obtaining of a superior type of groove. The method devised makes this operation ex tremely simple and well adapted to the irregular outline of a form. At the same time, a groove is produced which is smooth and even and which does not require any expensive polishing or finishing operations to render it fit for service.

A subordinate object of my invention is the preparation of the welded seam for the groove-rolling operation.

The following description and the accompanying drawing sets out the essentials of my method. However, it is to be understood that 1 do not desire to limit myself to the exact means there described and shown but that the invention is capable of a wide range of modification without departing from the principles set forth herein.

In this drawing:

7 Figure 1 illustrates a hosiery drying form comprised of sheet steel with the seam-seating groove clearly shown; I

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross section on the line 2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates the method of smoothing out th weld marks and preparing the edges of the form for the rolling of the groove;

Fi illustrates the method of rolling the scam-seating groove; and

5 to 8 inclusive, show different shapes of grooves obtainable by the practice of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates generally a hosiery drying form which may be of any desired contour with a cross section substantially that of a flattened oval and provided with a seam-seating groove 2 close to one edge of the form and extending from the lowest extremity thereof to the point of the toe.

As already mentioned, the form is built up of two sheets of metal cut to the required contour, shaped to the curve of the oval cross section, clamped together with the companion edges in proper relationship and then welded by electrical or other means along the ad joining edges. It has been found that the best and cheapest joint is obtained by using a roller type of electrical welding machine. This machine comprises essentially two copper rollers adjusted so that a predetermined gap exists between them and adapted to be rotated at a fixed rate of speed, each roller acting as one electrode of the welding means. The contiguous edges of the form are fed between these rollers under pressure and as it passes between them by the rotation thereof the current is applied periodically to the electrodes. The result is a series of spot welds having ductile characteristics which are dis posed relatively close together along the joined edges of the form. Good results have been obtained with a weld having a width ranging from to {*{C It is not practicable to maintain the current continuously and for this reason a set, of interrupter contacts is provided, which causes the periodical spot welds. As a consequence, the welded edges of the forms are left in a somewhat uneven and roughened condition, so it is necessary to smooth these surfaces to give the form a merchantable appearance, as well as to prepare the edges for the rolling of the groove.

This smoothing method is illustrated in Fig. 3. The numerals 4 and 5 refer to the steel rollers of a special type of rolling press which are revolved at a suitable fixed rate of speed and the edges of the form fed therebetween under pressure, the result of which is the smoothing of the surfaces roughened by the welding operation.

Following this operation, the form is transferred to another press comprising rollers 6 and 7 of the specialshape shown in Fig. 4. The roller 6 is provided with an annular V- shaped groove 8 defined by the surfaces 9 and 10, while the roller 7 is generally spool shaped and is formed with a rolling flang'ell whose peripheral cross-section depends upon the profile of the groove to be rolled and which is located to cooperate with the surfaces 9 and 10. Preferably, the end face of the flange is made concave for clearance purposes. The axes of the rollers are inclined at a predetermined operating angle as determined by the nature of the work performed but are substantially parallel to each other. By so relatively positioning the rollers, it is possible to manually I feed the form therebetween in approximately edge is fed between the pressure-rollers, the

surface 10 functioning as an anvil for one side of the edge, while the opposite side is being indented by the flange 11, with the surface 9 acting as a guide in order to insure that the groove will conform exactly to the somewhat sinuous edge of the form as the latter is passed between the rollers. As stated above, it is contemplated that the rolling flange 11 may have a shape different than that illustrated in Fig. 4, depending upon the type of groove desired, several shapes of such grooves being depicted in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the method of production in each instance being the same as given above. Since the working areas of contact of the rollers 6 and 7 are quite narrow, it is apparent that any edge, no matter how irregular, may be easily operated upon, the workman manually guiding the form between the working surfaces of the said rollers and the edge of the form itself serving as a gauge to determine the proper location of the groove.

Thus it may be seen that I have devised a simple and inexpensive method of providing a smooth and even seam-seating groove in a steel hosiery form, and one which is sufficiently flexible to satisfy the requirements of the great variety of forms employed by the modern hosiery manufacturer.

I claim:

1. The method of rolling a, seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form which consists in passing the form between a pair of pressure rollers, one of said rollers operating as an anvil and the other as a groove-forming member, and guiding the form by means of said anvil roller during contact to insure that the traverse of the groove conforms to the adjacent edge of the form.

2. The method of rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form which consists in passing the form between a pair of pressure rollers whose axes are disposed in parallel, inclined relation, operating one of said rollers as an anvil and the other as a groove-forming member, and guiding the form by means of said anvil roller during passage between said rollers to insure that the traverse of said groove conforms substantially to the adjacent edge of the form.

3. The method of forming a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form which consists in passing the form between flanged and grooved rollers under pressure, said rollers operating to both guide and indent a groove during passage therebetween.

at. A machine for rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form comprising a pair of cooperating, pressure rollers between which the form is passed, one roller being located to guide and seat the form and the other roller having means for indenting the groove.

5. A machine for rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form comprising a pair of cooperating, pressure rollers between which the form is passed, one roller having an annular groove defined by an anvil surface against which the form is seated and a guiding surface to insure the conforming of the groove to the irregular outline of the form, and the other roller having means for indenting the groove.

6. A machine for rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form comprising a pair of cooperating, pressure rollers between which the form is passed, the axes of said rollers being disposed in a parallel, inclined relation, one roller being located to guide and seat the form and the other roller having means for indenting the groove, the extent of inclination of the roller axes being sufiicient to pass the form therebetween in an approximately horizontal position.

7. A machine for rolling a seam-seating groove in a hosiery drying form comprising a pair of cooperating, pressure rollers between which the form is passed, the axes of said roller being disposed in parallel, inclined relation, one roller having an annular groove defined by an anvil surface against which the form edge is seated and a guiding surface to insure the conforming of the groove to the irregular outline of the form, and the other roller having means for indenting the groove, the extent of inclination of the roller axes being sufficient to pass the form therebetween in an approximately horizontal position.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

THOMAS W. PROSSER. 

